Mine conductor support



6, 1941. A. H. GENTER MINE CONDUCTOR SUPPORT Filed 'Sept. 18, 1940INVENTOR flaw w. 4m.

BY z

MATTQRNEY Patented May 6, 1941 UNiTE STATS TENT QFFECE liHN E CONDUCTORSUPPORT Pennsylvania Application September 18, 1940, Serial No. 357,287

3 Claims. (OI. ISL-40) This invention relates generally to trolley wiresupports and more particularly to hangers for supporting and carrying atrolley wire conductor and a trolley wire feeder.

This invention may be advantageously employed for use with trolley wiresystems in coal mines where overhead spacing is limited.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of an improvedhanger clamp for supporting a trolley wire conductor and a feederconductor wherein the two conductors are electrically connected throughthe medium of the hanger clamp.

Another object is the provision of a compact hanger clamp for supportinga trolley wire conductor and a feeder conductor within the leastpossible head room in a mine.

Another object is the provision of a hanger clamp for supporting aplurality of conductors in subjacent relation within a mine, wherein thelow ceiling limits the head room, thereby pro ducing conditions in theordinary overhead electrical transmission systems detrimental to safetransportation and other operations conducted in the mine.

Another object is the provision of an improved hanger clamp which issimple in construction and may be readily installed or worked.

Other objects and advantages appear in the following description andclaims.

In the accompanying drawing a practical embodiment illustrating theprinciples of this invention is shown, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the hanger clamp supporting a trolley wireconductor and a feeder conductor.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken along the longitudinal axis of theconductors.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1 with partsbeing broken away,

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line t4 of Fig. 1 with partsbeing broken away.

Referring to the drawing, l represents the roof or ceiling of the minewhich is drilled for receiving an expansion fitting to which theupwardly extending boss ll of the insulator I2 is secured. The circularplate 13 is an integral part of the insulator and its upper surface isarranged to fit up against the surface of the ceiling Iii forming a stopshoulder. This plate also covers the hole to protect it and preventmaterial from dropping out and loosening the expansion fitting. Theinsulating material is molded into the bell and is arranged to supportthe depending stud l4. When installed this insulator is thus adapted toreceive a hanger for carrying electrical conductors closely adjacent theceiling of the mine. These insulators may be positioned high on the sidewalls or at any convenient place on the ceiling of the mine forsupporting feeders or signal conductors and the like through the minetunnels.

The structure of the hanger clamp 25 comprising this invention isarranged to support a trolley wire conductor l5 and a feeder conductorI? in the same vertical plane. Since the hanger is constructed to carrya trolley wire the insulator l2 would be placed in the ceiling of themine above the location of the trolley pole of a mine locomotive.

The hanger clamp i5 is made in two parts l8 and is, each of which isprovided with a central body portion 28 having oppositely extending arms2| dispose-d longitudinally of the axis of the feeder conductor H withtheir outer ends .22 projecting thereabove. The ends 22 of the arms areprovided with aligned holes 23 for receiving the clamping bolts 24. Theholes on one clamp memher are squared to prevent the bolt from turningwhen the nut is being tightened thereon as indicated at 25 on thedrawing.

An upwardly extending boss 2%: is formed integrally on the central bodyportion 26 of the clamp member Hi. This boss is provided with avertically threaded opening 21 for receiving the stud M depending fromthe insulator 12. Thus the hanger clamp I 5 is supported fromtheinsulators by one of the hanger clamp members.

The inner faces of the body portions 28 and the arms 2| of the clampmembers l8 and 19 are provided with mating grooves 30, which areapproximately semicircular, for receiving the feeder conductor ii.

The inner faces adjacent the lower edges of the body portions 2!] arealso provided with the small longitudinally extending grooves 31 formingopposed longitudinally extending gripping fingers 32 along the bottomedges of the body portions 28. These fingers are arranged to grip andsupport the trolley wire in its preformed longitudinal grooves. If thecross section of the wire is figure eight in shape the upper smallerportion will be received by the corresponding grooves 3| and the fingers32 will grip the wire in the same manner.

The grooves 39 and 3!, together with their spacing, are constructed sothat one size of hanger clamp will grip a four naught, six naught, or anumber nine size trolley wire in the lower grooves 3i to properlysupport the same under 'of the arm 2|.

heavy loads and still provide sufficient clamping pressure for a onemillion or a seven hundred and fifty thousand circular mills feederconductor in the grooves 30. For Wire sizes smaller than these a smallersize hanger clamp is required. Again shims or fillers may be supplied inthe grooves 36 if the combination is such that the conductor carried bythese mating grooves is relatively small in comparison with the trolleywire.

The land section 33 intermediate the parallel grooves 30 and 3| isconstructed to provide sufficient clearance between the flaring flangesof a worn trolley wheel or shoe and the bolt 24 and at the same timeprovide ample clamping pressure on the feeder conductor i! when thetrolley wire 16 is tightly clamped by reason of the distance between thegripping fingers 32 and the fulcrum points 34 on the upper inner facesof the ends 22 Thus the clamp members l8 and I9 engage one another onlyat the fulcrum points 34 which are located above the bolts 24.

The outer ends 22 of the arms 2| are spaced from the bell portion of theinsulator l2 at approximately the same distance as the boss 26 is fromthe inner edge of the bell portion. This provides ample clearance toprevent an electrical discharge between these points and also providessufficient mechanical clearance to permit tightening or loosening thebolts 24 with safety. Again it will be noted that the upper surface ofthe ends 22 of the arms 2| are approximately at the same elevation asthe top of the boss 26. This construction thus provides a compactmechanical structure which may be readily assembled and installed.

With this construction minimum head room is utilized in suspending thetrolley wire which is a vital and important factor in suspending atrolley system in a mine.

I claim:

1. In a trolley wire support arranged to carry a plurality ofconductors, the combination of a hanger having a downwardly open bellmember, an insulated stud depending from the bell memher, a pair ofcomplementary jaw members, at least one of said jaw members beingattached intermediate of its ends to the stud, each jaw memberconsisting of an intermediate body portion and arms at either end of thebody portion extending upwardly and outwardly to provide safety'gapsbetween the arms and the bell member, said jaw members provided with aplurality of grooves formed in the inner faces thereof and in subjaoentrelation to each other, the corresponding grooves on the jaw membersregistering to receive the conductors, surfaces on the arms adjacent thefree extremities thereof disposed to engage and form fulcrums betweenthe two jaw members, and. means eifective between each fulcrum and thegrooves for causing the jaw members to converge and support theconductors in said grooves.

2. A partible trolley wire clamp arranged intermediate of its ends forinsulated support from above and to carry a plurality of conductors,comprising a pair of complementary jaw members each consisting of anintermediate body portion and arms at either end of the body portionextending upwardly and outwardly to provide safety gaps between the armsand the support said jaw members provided with a plurality of groovesformed in the inner faces thereof and in subjacent relation to eachother, the corresponding grooves on the jaw members registering toreceive the conductors, surfaces on the arms adjacent the freeextremities thereof disposed to engage and form fulcrums between the twojaw members, and means effective between each fulcrum and the groovesfor causing the jaw members to converge and support the conductors insaid grooves.

3. A partible trolley wire clamp arranged to carry a plurality ofconductors, consisting of a pair of complementary jaw members eachhaving an intermediate body portion, connector means formed integralwith the body portion of one of said jaw members and disposed with itsaxis in the plane separating the jaw members for supporting the clamp,arms on either end of each jaw member extending upwardly and outwardlyand spaced from said connector means, a pair of grooves formed in theinner face of each jaw member in subjacent relation to each other, thecorresponding grooves 0n the jaw members registering to receive theconductors, surfaces on the arms adjacent the free extremities thereofdisposed to engage and form fulcrums between the two jaw members,aligned transverse holes in the arms between each fulcrum and thegrooves, and clamping bolts extending through said holes for causing thejaw members to converge and support the conductors in said grooves.

- ALBERT H. GENTER.

